After reportedly firing two shots into a wall of his own home, the victim of a burglary in Joshua Tree was arrested for investigation for being a felon in possession of a ghost gun.
On Thursday (August 29,) at around 5:30 a.m. County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a burglary in progress in the 60000 block of Sandalwood Trail, where they reported they arrived and conducted an extensive area check for suspects described as “in their 20’s and wearing headlamps.”
The reporting party, identified by deputies as Dennis Heltzel, 53, said that he fired two shots from a 9mm gun at the wall towards where he believed he heard the burglars. Deputies say that Heltzel claimed that he was the registered owner of the gun, but they report that they found no record of Heltzel owning a gun. Deputies say that the gun had no serial numbers, making it untraceable and illegal. They then determined that Heltzel is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing any firearm.
Dennis Heltzel was arrested for investigation of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and booked into the Morongo Basin Station. He has since been released on bail.
No arrests have yet been made in the suspected burglary.
